


Over His Heart

by stupideas



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, has a happy ending though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 21:15:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15671430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupideas/pseuds/stupideas
Summary: An actress goes to a cancer hospital just for show and there she meets a boy who is really sick.“Sera, do you believe in soul-mates?”“No.” Because I’m in love with you.





	Over His Heart

**Author's Note:**

> that note i wrote for this ages ago: My sister called me yesterday to ask how to make the prompt interesting. My reply was something like, “add some deep conversation and a kiss scene maybe?” But as we kept on talking about how to make this interesting, we somehow came down to soul mates and I don’t think I can breathe properly without writing the shit that’s in my brain.
> 
> yeah, this is how this was created ;;;;

She didn’t feel good stepping inside the white building yet she wasn’t in a place to complain about it.  
Never in her life had Kwon Sera thought that she would get inside a hospital. No matter how sick she had been, how critical her condition had been, she had never stepped inside the premises of the hospital and she had never planned on doing so. It was all because she hated the place.

Sera had been confused regarding a lot of things in the span of seventeen years of her life but one thing she had always been sure of was her dislike of the hospitals and the people living inside those four white walls. Just the word hospital or any other word associated with sick left a bad taste in her mouth.

As Sera was led inside, her eyes wandered around. The place was cleaner than what she had imagined it to be but Sera could see the dirt around. The painful cries, the noise of the beeping machine, the sight of blood, people coughing – she saw it all in the spotless tiles. An unwanted, horrible feeling spread across her chest and she could tell that it was hate. She wanted to be out of there as soon as possible but she knew it was impossible to with the cameras outside and her manager walking by her side. The middle aged man responsible for handling her knew her too well and also her strong fear of hospital. Sera could only sigh and look around with eyes full of disgust.

“Don’t look around like that, Sera,” Sera’s manager snapped at her. Sera spared a glance at him, unable to mask her anger but did as she was told when he didn’t shift his glare elsewhere. Sera got the message that she had to project something else and that added fuel to the fire that was consuming her within.

Sera’s lips curved upward but her eyes remained restless. Every step she was taking made her weaker and gave rise to anger. With that came the wish for the place to disappear or to go back to the past so that she could correct her mistake of yelling at a patient. If only she had controlled her bitterness back then, she wouldn’t have been here. Sera slowly felt her smile fading. If only was only she could think of and it made her want to scream but she had to hold it in.

She turned around to her manager to inform him that she’d throw up any moment but before she could utter a word she was met with the sharp gaze of her beloved boss who then mouthed her to drop her plans. Sera didn’t need to think twice to know what he was implying to – she just knew he was asking her to stop thinking about ways of escaping because it was she who had gotten herself into this mess.

Sera could only let out an exasperated sigh when she was informed by a nurse that they’d be visiting a patient. It was the last thing Sera had wanted to do but seeing she had no other choice, she forced herself to smile and mentioned how she was excited to meet whoever it was although she was feeling the opposite inside.

She had no escape.

The nurse smiled back at her and directed them to a room at the far end of the hallway. Sera unconsciously bit her lip, eyes searching every nook and corner for a way to escape. She didn’t know if she could handle meeting and communicating with a patient – she hated it. She hated the situation she was in. Moreover she hated the fact that she was bounded by so many things because of which she couldn’t do what she wanted to do.

As they were moving to the room, Sera started thinking about her life choices and all she had done in those eighteen years of her life. She then started regretting everything, from gaining the love of the media and people to simply existing. Fear ran in her veins. This was a scenario she always kept herself away from and today, when she had all riches in the world to avoid such people, bring a hospital to her room and order people around so that she wouldn’t have to do what she didn’t want to, she was being dragged forcefully to what she would call hell. The flame of hate and anger in her heart was emitting dread and even more anger. She wanted to lash out and destroy everything that was around her. When she heard the door being opened, she knew the world was going to meet its end.

But when her black orbs met with his warm brown orbs, she felt as if she had been released from everything. The anger in her heart subsided. His deep gaze and warm knowing smile had managed to cease the fire of hatred that was in her heart. Sera couldn’t comprehend the situation but the feeling that spread across her chest was relaxing. It calmed her nerves.

Unconsciously, Sera let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding only for her to freeze the next moment when he spoke; “I’m...”

Sera felt the skin beneath the strap of her wrist watch heat up and a fuzzy feeling stir up in her heart when he uttered the other two words which Sera felt held deeper meaning. After he said those two words she had heard countless times in her life, her mind seem to freeze in that time. It kept on repeating it again and again, with the sheepish chuckle that followed. Her heart seemed to soar up – it was the second time in her life when those two words had such an impact on her though she couldn’t pin point why. Maybe it was the sincerity laced in his tone or the deepness of his tone. She didn’t know. All she was aware about was that momentarily, she had forgotten everything else and had lost the power to reason with herself. The two words kept on ringing in her ears, kept on playing like a broken record.

“...your fan.”

 

* * *

  
It took more than some time for Sera to gain back her senses. They had been in the room for about half an hour with Mark going on about what he liked about her. Sera knew what he was talking about but her brain couldn’t register anything because she was still stuck in that moment. It wasn’t after they had exited the room, because Mark had to take his medications and rest, Sera was brought back to reality. With her senses, loneliness crept inside her heart and that caused confusion to stir up within Sera.

Upon reaching home, for the first time in years, Sera glanced at the words written on her wrist that had always been covered by her wrist watches. It was a sight she could never face but the words that were inked there were something, she figured, couldn’t erase. It was meant to be there and Sera loathed that fact. But that day surprisingly, Sera could glance at with without anything burdening her heart.

Her fingers lingered over the patch of skin. She wanted to touch it but something within her couldn’t bring herself to. Her mind was clouded with many things, one of which was the existence of such thing, and that didn’t allow her to do what she had wanted to do.

It was the nth time that day.

Sera felt anger bubbling in her chest once again. Her mind was crowded by unanswered questions and she couldn’t even dispose them. She was tired of everything, herself, her life but she was helpless. She had always been helpless and that feeling brought more negativity. Sera felt the need to clear out everything but she couldn’t tell how and it bugged her. It drove her insane. She bit her lip harshly as she pulled the roots of her hair in confusion. She couldn’t help but let out a frustrated, tired groan and just then Mark’s face flashed in front of her.

Only he could give her answers.

 

* * *

 

  
Sera stepped into the white buildings the next day but without much hatred in her heart. She had curiosity in her, a lot of unanswered questions that she believed only Mark could answer, and that caused her to be less fidgety. It was odd, considering how worked up Sera got every time she needed to know something but she brushed her thoughts behind with an absent minded shrug.

It didn’t take Sera much time to get right in front of Mark’s room. It was as if her brain had memorized the way to his room. It didn’t make sense to her, nor did the light feeling that enveloped her but Sera shrugged it off like the previous matters – nothing made sense to her.

Without wasting much time thinking and rethinking over things, Sera opened the door without knocking only to be greeted by the most beautiful sight.

It was Mark. The Mark with a relaxed smile on his face and eyes closed. Sera felt her heart accelerating and words died down in her throat. All that she had prepared to tell him, or ask him, flew out of her head. She forgot how to speak, and just like the previous day her breath remained stuck with her heart falling back to its steady pace.

“You came,” Mark spoke up, voice thinner than the day before. Sera felt like someone was squeezing oxygen out of her system – just hearing his voice made it hard for her to breathe. Something about him made her anxious. Her anxiety was erased however when he cracked an eye open and laughed silently at God knows what.

Maybe it was her dumbfounded face, or just her face, Sera wondered and grew anxious again, heat spreading through her whole body. Her knees were getting weak, maybe because Mark was staring at her with a glint of happiness in his eyes. He was happy to see her and just the thought of it made her heart swell with immense joy.

Sera’s brain detected the unusual behaviour of hers and reacted quickly.

“Yeah, I did,” Sera said quickly, placing her gaze somewhere else. She felt Mark’s smile drop and felt bad immediately but her mind was fast enough to gather itself.

She couldn’t – shouldn’t let her thoughts mess up.

“I needed answers from you.” She stated firmly. Mark sighed, turning away from her. His shoulders seemed to drop a little and she didn’t feel good about it.

_Sera, get a grip_.

“I thought you already got it.” Mark replied with sadness laced in his voice which caused Sera to become even more confused, not because of what he said but because she found herself unable to utter another word. Her heart felt heavy and her lips refused to part. Why did he have so much effect on her?

 

* * *

 

  
Sera was stubborn. Despite the nagging feeling at the back of her mind, she went to visit Mark every other day but her stubbornness died down whenever she met with his hopeful, happy stare. His mood seemed to be lifted every time she walked in, according to the old nurse Mark often addressed as mom. Sera had questioned why but Mark told her she had to figure it out herself, which left Sera confused again.

There hadn’t been much progress even after going there though Sera hoped for at least an answer as she stepped in the building every other day. As she stepped out, she never got answers but a sense of happiness and a tiny amount of loneliness. She seemed to forget everything whenever she was with Mark and it was only when she got home she remembered why she had gone there in the first place.

It was for answers. Not for some sort of attachment or friendship. Not for a bond that tied them together. Not for the warm, amazing sensation on the part of her body she disliked very, very much.

Sera couldn’t figure out why all of that happened. Maybe it was the way Mark greeted her enthusiastically, voice full of life or maybe it was the way her name rolled off his tongue – it was sweetest sound she had heard in her entire life though she wouldn’t admit it out loud. Or maybe it was sacred bond she had with Mark Lee, the boy who fell in the category of people Sera detested. The thought of how Mark had changed her scared her. She wasn’t hesitant on going there and visiting someone like him. What had he done to her? She didn’t know but she was sure that she was going to bring up those two questions that had been bugging her ever since.

Sera was adamant. The obvious changes in her feelings and behaviour wasn’t going to drive her away from her aim, even if she knew somewhere that Mark would be immensely hurt by her questions, like he was the first time.

She had to stop caring about him.

“Mark...,” Sera started. Mark hummed softly, eyes facing the ceiling while hers remained on his face – his skin had paled in comparison to the first time she had met him and he was getting skinner each day. Sera wondered if he had been eating well.

_Sera, stop caring_.

“Are you eating properly?”

She cared too much about his feelings. Sera cursed herself mentally for cowering again.

Mark didn’t speak for a while and it scared her again. Mark’s silence always meant that he was in deep thought and Sera could never understand what kind of thoughts they were because Mark had always been a better actor than her. He could mask his feelings so well but could tell hers so easily. It often left Sera wondering about what Mark was. A mind reader? An angel?

“Sera,” Mark started, bringing Sera back from her trance after a short while. Sera wasted no time in turning her gaze at Mark, only for the familiar warm feeling to grow on the pit of her stomach when their gazes met again. Like the first day, his gaze held so much depth and it drew her in. Her breathing slowed down and she couldn’t focus elsewhere. Her attention was on him and she was sure his was on hers. Sera didn’t want to think of anything else at that moment or look away but Mark seemed to having something else in mind.

He gave her a serious look, raising her guards up. It was an automatic reflex. She was setting up her walls so that it would take her some time to register his words. She wanted to think carefully about what he was about to say to her because she had his dreadful feeling consuming her insides. She felt like her reply to whatever he was going to ask her would tear him apart.

Mark let out a puff of breath before finally asking, “Do you believe in soul-mates?”

“No,” Sera replied without batting an eyelash though that wasn’t what she had planned on doing. She had planned on analyzing Mark’s actions, little things he did after asking that to see how she should answer him but the no came out almost immediately because soul-mates were the last thing she believed in, especially after falling in love with the person whose name wasn’t written on her skin.

That day, after her answer, Mark refused to talk to her but Sera was left with a satisfaction. She had finally faced her fear – she had broken out of her walls and admitted to herself that the care she had for Mark surpassed the care one had for friends. She was in love with him and she was able to face it even if he fell under sickly people, though he lived in a place she disliked, though his name wasn’t the name written on her skin.

After years Sera got the courage to run her fingers over the letters on her skin. It felt cold and she didn’t like the sensation.

 

* * *

 

  
Over the days, Sera became busy. She rarely had time to catch her breath, and she certainly didn't have the time to go visit Mark. She was so caught up in things — from shooting CFS to going to charity events; her professional life seemed to have picked up it's previous pace. Sera knew she should be happy but all she felt was emptiness. She missed Mark more than anything and that was killing her inside. On top of that, her wrist felt numb at times. That never happened to her before the soulmate incident, and thinking it was related with Mark, she was extremely worried. What if her answer had hurt him so much that —

Sera shook that thought before it ate her up. She decided that in one of these days, she'd visit Mark. She had no idea exactly when though.

 

* * *

 

  
"I came here to visit Mark Lee." Sera told the receptionist with a rather cheery tone. The woman across the desk gave her a surprised look for her different attitude. That day Sera was feeling more than happy, she guessed it was because of Mark, and despite being a great actress, Sera couldn't hide that. Every other time Sera could, since she barged in with rather mixed emotions and questions but this time she showed what she was; it had been a long time since she went out with a bare face.

The receptionist typed something on the keyboard whilst Sera stared at her with great anticipation, eyes wide. She felt like she had become a child all of a sudden; she almost jumped when the nurse mentioned Mark's name.

"He's in the same room as he was before but..."

Sera was beyond impatient so she hurried to Mark's room without hearing anything else.

The young woman could only let out a sad sigh.

 

* * *

 

  
"Mark," Sera yelled on the top of her lungs, not caring at which place she was, as soon as she opened the door to his room. Her smile had reached up to her ears and she was panting heavily because of all of the running. She took a moment to catch her breath and looked at the direction of Mark's bed to call him again, only to stop when she was met with a horrifying sight.

Mark smiled at her but his aura that he emitted was different. Sera always felt good whenever she saw Mark, but this time round, she didn't. Mark's eyes were void of any emotions unlike before. His smile was a forced one and his eyes had no shine in them. She could only feel darkness in the room although the curtains were wide with the sun's rays gently kissing his snow white skin. Something felt off.

Sera took a moment to study Mark fully. His clothes seemed too big for him and it seemed as if he was made just out of bones and skins. He looked so thin, so pale, so drained and so helpless.

It then hit her.

Sera held onto the doorknob tightly. She started shaking her head violently, tears blurring her sight. She brought her other hand to cover her mouth so as to muffle the sobs that were threatening to leave her lips.

Mark on the other side frowned. He couldn't see Sera's glistening eyes but her gestures told him enough.

Sera legs gave in and she dropped on the floor, eyes shut to prevent tears from escaping and hands still covering her mouth to suppress her cries.

Mark saw it but he didn't dare look at her. He couldn't see her in that state. He turned away from her.

He didn't want to break her further. He knew that the remaining bits of her would shatter if she met his eyes; after all, they were like hers — helpless, sad and full of unshed tears.

 

* * *

 

  
Sera made it a point to spend most of her time with Mark. She canceled most of her appointments just to be by his side to support him. Mark, however, gave her a cold shoulder. It disappointed her greatly but Sera held on. Mark seemed to have no hope, nor did it seem like he wanted to live but she held on to her desires.

She was selfish and she needed Mark. She held on to her selfishness for Mark's dreams. Although she detested the idea of soul-mates, she wanted Mark to meet his soulmate. She wanted him to spend some time with his soul-mate, even if that meant being in pain, because that was something he had always wished for. Although he had never said it to her, the way his nurse talked about his idea about soul-mates and how he'd want to meet up with the girl whose name was inked over his heart, she could say it meant a lot to her.

Being with Mark had taught her a lot and most importantly, it made her reflect on a lot of things of the past. It made her reflect on her actions and how she had let pain grip her heart years ago. She let it stay there, refusing to let it escape and let it paint her heart black. And her entire life, she tried to erase the dirt while letting the main source reside there. With that, she tried to hide her scared, broken self from the world through acting, by being successful.

The pain she always held onto changed to pointless hatred, disgust and fear. Maybe that was why she loathed the idea of soul-mates. She didn't have that in her to understand such beautiful thing.

Now, she could grasp the thing, but she still believed it wasn't for her. She was never destined to fall for the person meant for her and that meant being another helpless victim of unrequited love. She wasn't a deserving soul like Mark was, and she'd go to any extent to make sure he gets what is truely meant for him.

 

* * *

 

  
All of a sudden, Mark started coughing violently. Sera woke up from her sleep and rushed to his side to hand him a glass of water. Mark had to gather all his energy to take the glass and take a sip; Sera could clearly see that but know how he'd not allow her to get too close to him, she stood by his side and patted his back lightly.

She remembered people doing that to anyone who was coughing.

Mark calmed down after two-three sips and Sera spared him a worried glance, and she knew her doing that would be of no use.

"I'll call the nurse," she informed him in a low voice and extended her hand, silently ordering him to give her the glass. Mark shook his head.

"I... Fine," he replied and tried to give her a weak smile. He failed to do so and suddenly, a wave of anger hit Sera.

"Don't try to act fine when you aren't!" She yelled and he flinched. Sera saw that and immediately felt guilty for her actions. She dropped a long sigh and sat down next to Mark with her head bowed. She let out another sigh when she felt Mark's gaze shift elsewhere. "Look — I'm sorry," she started off hesitantly, "I just want you to be okay."

She felt Mark nod and she slowly lifted her head to gaze study his expression. A tiny part of her hoped he'd at least show her a smile, but he had his poker face on. He refused to show her anything and she respected that. She'd learned this years ago; Mark didn't have slightest of hope in him and that caused him to be monotonous. If there was anything that was keeping him there, with them, it was the efforts of handful people who cared about him.  
Sera was one of them but not the greatest one, but she was okay with it. She'd be happy to be any kind of support to Mark. She just wished he'd acknowledge her as one, or acknowledge the people surrounding him. She hoped he'd start hoping once again because seeing him like that made her weak and less hopeful.

Sera hated thinking about her future without Mark.

"I won't live for more than few days," Mark suddenly spoke up, bringing Sera back from her thoughts. The frown on her face deepened but her brain was quick to react. It made her visit a similar scenario from the past and thinking it would be okay, Sera proceeded to mimic it.

She placed her hand on Mark's shoulder, squeezing it lightly, and flashed him a smile, a rather forced one. Mark turned his head to look at her with the same, annoyed expression. Sera's smile still remained there, except it got wider.

"Let's not not enjoy it then!" She said and brought her hand to ruffle Mark's hair, with the smile still dangling on her lips; "These days are enough for all of us to pamper you even more." She then proceeded to pinch Mark's cheeks lightly. The boy seemed confused at first but Sera was successful enough to spot a hint of smile in his face. It all brought back memories and words she had failed to understand till today.

_If nothing works, try showing them that you're there to hope for them or be happy for them. It might seem insensitive but like negativity, even positivity, though fake, can be spread if a person tries._

Sera hoped she had followed her mother's words correctly. She hoped that the slight smile wasn't just her imagination.

 

* * *

 

  
"Mark's holding on surprisingly well." Sera's smile doubled at the doctor's words. She was about to bow and thank him but the serious, concerned face of his which was facing Mark's direction made her stop. In these days, Sera had somehow become an expert at reading expressions and the doctor's told her that there was more to what he was saying.

Sera hesitantly tapped the doctor's shoulder to draw his attention towards her. The doctor did turn to her.

"Is he... really okay?" She asked in a quiet tone. A huge part of her wished to get a positive answer but there was still another part that told her she wouldn't be getting what she wanted.

She wanted to bury it but the more she did, the louder it got.

"He...," the doctor started slowly. Sera gulped slightly to calm her nerves and stared at the doctor's face with an anticipation for the answer. The doctor sighed.

"Do you believe in soul-mates?" He asked her. Sera was completely taken aback by his question.

"P-Pardon?" She requested, just to make sure she'd heard right.

"His case is... different. I haven't seen such case in years, and it's out of our hands. We can keep him for a few days but...," his gaze turned back to the sleeping figure of Mark and a bitter chuckle escaped his lips, "A boy like him doesn't deserve all of this. Anyways, Sera, I'll get going now."

Sera, who had spaced out for a moment, bowed immediately at the doctor as he left. She still couldn't understand his words and the fact that something within her was telling she should know all of that was bugging her.

She wondered what was he on about. She wondered if she could save Mark.

She wanted to understand more about soul-mates.

 

* * *

 

  
It was one of those rare days when Sera had nothing to do. Due to the heavy downpour, her schedules had been canceled but it wasn't like Sera minded. It meant she could spend more time with Mark and she was okay with it. Or maybe, more than that.

"Mark, water," Sera handed him a glass of warm water, which he accepted without any protests. It made Sera smile to herself. Mark wasn't as cheerful as before but she could see the slightest changes in him; how he'd chuckle at her words, smile as he stared off at some distance, and how he'd not push her away. He didn't let her close but he didn't ask her to go. He remained silent, calm, as if he was trying to mask his emotions. And like always, he was succeeding in that.

Sera still couldn't get him.

Sera felt Mark nudge her lightly. Snapping from her trance, she shifted her attention to him and hummed, a gesture to ask him what was the matter. He pointed at the almost empty glass he was holding. She nodded plainly, trying to force another grin, and proceeded to reach for it. She was still mesmerized in her thoughts about Mark, and due to that, she knocked her hand on Mark's chest as she was bringing the half empty glass towards herself. The water spilled on the blankets. Mark let out a hiss of pain. Sera dropped the glass on the floor and started apologizing to Mark, who had his hand placed on the injured spot, telling him it wasn't intentional.

Sera was panicking but she managed to calm herself after a few seconds, but Mark seemed to be still in pain. His face was distorted and by the way his free hand was gripping the side of the bed, it was clear to her that he was injured badly. After all, Mark was sick. Even a strand of hair could bring in a negative reaction.

"I'll call the doctor asap," Sera said, placing her hand comfortingly on Mark's shoulder. She spared him a reassuring glance; "Wait for me, okay?"

Mark shook his head weakly. Sera ignored it, after all, she was used to it. Mark was stubborn and tried to hide his pain. Sera was the same, stubborn, and she brushed away Mark's self harming protests. After she did so, Mark usually feel silent but this time round he grabbed Sera's wrist when she was about to go away. She halted on her step and was about to look back at Mark when she felt a sharp sting on her wrist — on that very patch of skin.

Sera's immediate action was to push Mark's hand away and take off her watch. It was starting to burn, and that sensation was slowly traveling to other parts of her body. Sera felt dizzy; her head started spinning, and with each second, the sting on her wrist doubled. She dropped on her knees, panting heavily, with a sudden headache that to her was unbearable. Instinctively, she brought her hands to her head and started massaging her temples, but nothing worked. Sera felt her consciousness seeping away. Her wrist felt numb all of a sudden and with that, everything blacked out.

 

 

* * *

 

  
_"You loved me because my name was inked on your skin. You loved your soulmate, the one you're fated to be with, and not me."_

  
_The young girl flinched at the harsh tone of her father. The whole deal was bothering her but she couldn't speak up, not when her father's eyes and face were red, not when her mother was sobbing uncontrollably on the other side._

  
_"But I do love you!" Her mother spoke weakly._

  
_Sera moved two steps back when her father reached to her mother and raised his hand at her. The sight was terrifying. The lady she addressed as mother, one of the bravest women Sera had ever known was curled up into a ball, looking so weak and helpless. It pained her, but at the same time she could reason why her father was mad._

  
_Although Sera's mom was a good person, she had wavered. She promised to love her father till the end but when she realized it wasn't her father who was her actual other half, she started spending time with the other guy.  
Although Sera felt bad for her mother, she knew she'd be rooting for her father._

  
_"Lies! If you did, you wouldn't go with him!"_

  
_"I came back to you."_

  
_"Who knows? You might just run away when you find another Lee Jinyong in your life."_

  
_"Jinyong!" She snarled._

  
_"The concept of soul-mates is rediculous. There might be hundred other Lee Jinyong in this world, it's not just me. You are destined to be with the one whose name is on your skin. In that case, you're destined to be with other hundred Jinyong. Wow."_

  
_"It's more than just that!" Her mother yelled back, gritting her teeth this time._

  
_Jinyong let out a dry laughter, rolling his eyes."Then explain why you mistook me as your soulmate then?" He demanded, "Were you so desperate to meet your soulmate that you tagged every Lee Jinyong as your "the one"? Or was it because of the Kwon Sumin written on my wrist?"_

  
_Sumin shook her head violently, completely in denial. "It wasn't that — none of that!"_

  
_"Then why? You couldn't have felt that calm feeling when you'd met me for the first time. Some Han Sora was my soulmate." Jinyong reasoned with her, and his words then seemed to spark something within Sumin._

  
_Sera flinched again when she saw a flash of anger cross her face._

  
_"I got to know! And that's why I was pissed, that's why I left and there I met my actual soulmate. And yet I..."_

  
_The anger was replaced with guilt. Sera closed her eyes shut, unable to see the sight in front of her. She knew her father was in a bad position, just like her. And she knew what was coming was not good._

  
_There was a long, thick, suffocating silence. Sera found it hard to breathe as seconds passed by. Only the sound of heavy breathing and egos clashing could be heard._

  
_Finally, her father decided to break the agonizing atmosphere._

  
_"Don't explain further," He stated, voice devoid of any emotion, "I know.You came back for Sera."_

  
_Another long pause followed. Sera could only stare at her mother, like her father was doing, for an answer. But the answers they were expecting was different._

  
_"...I'm sorry."_

  
_Sera figured her father had been right. Her expectations crashed down, like always._

  
_"Go. Take her."_

  
_Sera felt her heart crumbling, seeing her family break apart just because of some concept that people believe existed._

  
_She decided it then: she indeed hates the concept of soul-mates. It not only took Taeyong away from her but also broke her family._

 

* * *

 

  
_"Why do you even hate hospitals?" Yerim asked her out of blue._

  
_Sera couldn't help but turn around and give Yerim a look, because it wasn't always that someone questioned about her hate for hospitals._

  
_Nevertheless, Sera shrugged as a response, "don't know. I just started hating it, especially after seeing Taeyong suffer. Sick people are leeches."_

  
_Yerim remained quiet at her answer and Sera could guess why. Yerim had a heart of gold, just like Taeyong did, and Yerim seemed to understand that she'd say things for a reason, just like Taeyong did._

  
_"Who's Taeyong?" Yerim asked again._

  
_Sera grinned at her, "A male version of you."_

 

* * *

 

  
_"Nakamoto Yuta."_

  
_There was a pang in Sera's heart when his name rolled off her lips. She hated those words from the bottom of her heart yet she couldn't help herself when she spotted the Japanese male inside her workplace. Sera wondered why, but when she saw Taeyong in place of Yuta for a moment, she got herself._

  
_Nakamoto Yuta had changed a lot. When she had first met him, that was when she was three years old, he was a skinny, sickly boy who always had a frown on his face. He was the same ungrateful brat who had made Taeyong choose between him and her. He was the cruel man who made Taeyong suffer even after he chose him. He took Taeyong away from her and treated him worse._

  
_He was someone she hated — and she still hated him. He used his sickness and Taeyong's name on his skin as tools to draw Taeyong towards him; they always did that.  
Soul-mates matter more than anything in the world. Sick people should be prioritized._

  
_Sera should've understood that the moment Taeyong left her._

  
_It took her another blow, years later when she saw her family break again, to understand that family and love, in this universe she was living, wasn't as important.Only she held such beliefs._

 

* * *

 

  
_"Soul-mates are like your pre-assigned friends. You don't necessarily have to have a romantic bond with them; you just have a special bond connecting you. Love — any kind of that — blooms because of that bond, because of that understanding, because you know that they'll be there for you, always._

  
_"As stupid as this sounds, but really, this selfishness of ours gives rise to selflessness. We'd do anything for them, even risk our lives, because we wouldn't want to go on without them. They understand us. We understand each other. After all, that's what we humans want, right? Someone to understand us, inside and out?  
I wish Naka—"_

  
_Sera closed Taeyong's old journal shut and threw it across the room._

 

* * *

 

 

_"You know if he is your soulmate once you see them. You won't feel a spark, but a calm feeling. Spark marks attraction. Your soulmate isn't your object of attraction but something more than that. Sounds like what Taeyong would say, right?"_

  
_Sera presses her lips into a thin line and nodded slowly. The male across her laughed; hearing it made Sera's heart squeeze in pain, it reminded her so much of Taeyong and it was killing her inside. Where was Taeyong? She wanted to ask that to him desperately but her ego didn't let her. Although she had opened her heart to the new Nakamoto a little, she was still angry at Taeyong._

  
_"Do you know why am I saying this to you?" He asked her. Sera shook her head truthfully._

  
_"Taeyong told me to." Yuta said casually and that threw Sera aback. Her brows knitted together in confusion. Sera couldn't register Yuta's words in her head; what was he trying to imply?_

  
_Yuta let out a short laughter, again, and Sera couldn't help but be more confused. For a moment she felt like it was Taeyong laughing at her, because Yuta's laughter was a knowing one._

  
_"Taeyong is your brother, Sera. He knows you."_

  
_"But we haven't met for a long time." Sera exclaimed a little too loudly and quick, making Yuta crack a soft smile. Sera hissed inwardly because it reminded her of Taeyong, and remembering Taeyong always brought pain._

  
_"He met you through me. It's a soulmate thing you wouldn't get... not when you haven't recognized him." Yuta stated and it ticked her off because Yuta wasn't Taeyong. He couldn't know her more than how much she knew herself._

  
_"Stop acting like you know me," Sera ordered him, unknowingly gritting her teeth. She was beyond pissed._

  
_Yuta simply shrugged, ignoring her words, and checked his wrist watch. He clicked his tongue in annoyance._

  
_"Time flies too fast, doesn't it?" He asked to no one in particular before lifting his gaze and looking at Sera, who had her arms crossed and arms narrowed, probably because she was annoyed at him. Yuta chuckled to himself._

  
_"Well... It was nice meeting you, Sera." He smiled wider, "I have something for you, by the way."_

  
_He opened the zip of his bag to take out something. The quiet Sera who had made it a point to not give immediate reaction, was quite curious. After some time of digging though his bag, he took out a book with plain white cover, which made her snort because it was so obviously Taeyong's book, and handed it to her; "for you."_

  
_She figured his love for white hadn't changed. Nor had his love for the black ink. The cover of the book was white, with no art or such like other books she came across. The only design there was the letters, that spelled SOULMATES._

  
_A bitter feeling spread across Sera's chest._

  
_"You sure he won't publish it like this? It's like Taeyong, I like it, but it's too plain."_

  
_"Knew you'd say that. But he said that the cover was a surprise for us."_

  
_Sera hummed, again thinking how that was so like Taeyong._

 

* * *

 

  
_"Unlike most of you out there, I have two soul-mates. One whose name is inked on my skin, the one who completes me, Nakamoto Yuta, and the other with whom I share a deep level of understanding, a different, special bond I cherish, maybe more than how much I cherish my bond with Yuta._

  
_"My other soulmate is my little sister."_

 

* * *

 

  
_Sera, do you believe in soul-mates?_

  
_Now I do, Mark. I believe in us._

 

* * *

 

  
"Lee Minhyung," Sera said and sighed, running her fingers delicately on her skin, over that name which now brought a warm feeling instead of the one it brought months ago. Sera smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

"Why did it take me so long to figure it out?" She sighed once again and looked at his sleeping face, guilt rushing to her heart. He was on the chair, with his head thrown back, eyes closed, sleeping in a rather uncomfortable position. Just by glancing at him Sera could say that he was troubled, probably because of her, and the guilt increased.

In a flash, tears blurred her vision.

Sera realized that she was never who she was. She thought of herself as a better person than Nakamoto Yuta, but even she had hurt the one who'd always loved from the sidelines. She thought she was better than her parents by discarding the idea of soul-mates and staying away from it, but she was worse than them. She had pushed away her father, Taeyong and refused to properly communicate with her mother and respect their decisions. She stayed away from them, even when they tried to approach her. And she claimed she loved her family more than them. She thought she was better than those sick leeches but at least their hearts were pure, unlike hers. She was healthier, independent, better but she was sick at heart. She was the opposite of everything she thought she was; she'd always been a person she loathed.

Sera buried her face and cried. She cried ugly, momentarily forgetting where she was, who surrounded her and what she was. It'd been long since she did that and she was letting it all out. Things she'd buried in her heart since she was small, unable to comprehend things, she let it all out at once. And it was quite refreshing, unlike what she thought it would be like, especially when she felt Mark's bony arms snake around her, pulling her close to him, as if telling her that he was there for her. Then shifting her position, Sera clutched Mark's shirt and cried on his chest.

After years, Sera finally managed to empty her heart.

 

* * *

 

 

All Sera could see was black. The blindfold Mark had used to cover her eyes left her vision-less.

"Mark, for the nth time, where are you taking me?" Sera whined with her whole body. Mark's laughter rang in her ears and it didn't comfort Sera one bit. She just wondered what he was up to; she felt like she shouldn't trust him at that moment yet she held on to him. He was her only support and he knew it. He was taking advantage of her helplessness.

Sera pursed her lips, thinking as Mark led her to God knows where.

What is he doing?

"Mark!" Sera jumped a bit when she heard a familiar voice and the giggles she couldn't help but despise at that time.

"I should've know!" Sera cried and slapped Mark's arm, hard. She didn't feel even a little guilty on hearing him yelp. "Nakamoto! Minhyung! What on earth are you both doing? I—"

As Sera was busy hurling curses at them, Mark removed her blindfold. Her mouth was sputtering all the profanities until she realized that she could feel the light on her eyes. Mark and Yuta, who remained by her side, laughed softly as Sera paused, opened her eyes only for her jaw to drop at the sight that was in front of her.

It was Taeyong.

And behind him was a huge poster with Yuta's smiling face and a photo of her young self, the happy, contented Lee Sera before life gave her nasty surprises. On the top-middle portion, in a fancy writing, "soul-mates" was written and on the bottom was "by Lee Taeyong."

It then hit Sera — the surprise Yuta had talked to her about months ago, the plain white cover which was so Taeyong like, Taeyong's book, Taeyong.

Without a word exchanged, Taeyong smiled at her and opened his arms wide. Sera felt like she had become a kid again, the kid who'd run to her brother's arms, not caring what the circumstances were. She jogged up to Taeyong and hugged him tightly, unable to suppress the urge of being in his embrace once again. Taeyong wrapped his arms around her immediately, squeezing her tightly, hoping that gesture would convey all his emotions.

Truly, Sera didn't need words to understand what Taeyong wanted to tell her.

"Missed you too, soulmate."

Taeyong laughed and pulled away with a huge grin painted on his lips. Automatically his hand reached up to ruffle her hair playfully. Sera closed her eyes, crinkling her nose and whined, asking him to stop. Instead of stopping, he messed her even more and laughed, making her sulk and ramble about how long it took her to do her hair.

Forgetting all the years of separation, they had become close once again, playing around and teasing each other. It was a nice time for the two of them and at that moment, Sera felt so grateful to have met Mark.

She couldn't imagine being happy without him.

She was indeed a lucky one to have her name inked over his heart.

 

* * *

 


End file.
